Bottle-topping machine



F. c. AREY BOTTLE ToPPmG mcmz f Septw 1&5, 1925.

e sheets-smet' 1 Filed Serfl- 24, 1921 liu/antw eai di? By @TML sept. 15, 1925.

" F. C. AREY BOTTLE TOPPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 1921* 6`SheelZS-Sh80f. 2

Sept, 15, 192s.

1,553,738 F. c. AREY vBOTTLE',l TOPPING MACHINE l Filed sept, 24, 1921 v e sheets-shea; s

Sept, 15, 1925.

' F. C. AREY BOTTLE TOPPING MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 19,21

ill/@rdm f @d @Pesa TMW *w -Sept l5, 1925. 1,553,738`

- A v F. c. AREY BOTTLE TOPPING MACHINE Filed Sept 24, 1921 -s sheets-snm s Z5 Ilm Z 75 wl @www F. C. AREY BOTTLE TOPPING MACHINE Sept 15, 1925.

Filed Sept. 24. 1921 6A Sheets-Sheet liu/,e nim" lczl C. di? TM .wf/1+ Patented sega., 15, 192s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

rm c. un, or ou nix, ILLINOIS, .issIeNoa To HoaLIcxs naman mx coxram, oir RACINE, wIscoNsnLn conroaATIoN.

BOTTLE-TOPPING MACHINE.

Application led September 24, 1921. Serial No. 502,959.

To all whom. it ma concern:

Be it known A; at I, Fano C. AREY, a citizen 'of the United States, residin at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Topping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the closing and sealing of bottles, jars and other rece tacles but more particularly to machinery or applying tops or disks of paper or other similar material to bottles to form closures therefor.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide eflicient means for mechanically a plying the tops, to provide a novel and advantageous mechanism for conducting a supply of bottles to the topping mechanism,

to insure the proper positioning of the bottle to receive a top, to provide a simple and advantageous magazine or holder for the sup ly of tops, to provide an eliicient picker meclianism for withdrawing the tops from the magazine and transportin them to the point of application, to provi e an eiicient presser construction for applying the tops, to produce a machine which is capable of inserting the tops into the neck of the bottle or affixing the same upon the edge or rim thereof, to provide accurate timing of the bottle positioning mechanism and the top appl ing mechanism, to produce a machine whicli is adapted for joint operation with other machines to perform successive steps in the closing and sealing of bottles, to provide means for releasing the top from the transporting means as soon as the top comes in contact with the bottle, to provide a combined picker and presser head, to provide picker means shiftable from the picking to the applying position, and in general to provide a bottle topping machine which is simple in construction and mode of operation and automatic.in action.

The many other objects and advantages of my invention will be better understood by reference to the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment thereof, in which Fig. 1 is Ia side elevation of the bottle topping machine with the parts in their initial position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlar ed central vertical sect1on of the topping ead and magazine.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views illustrating the pperation of the topping head.

U Fig. 8 is an enlarged rear view of a portion of the machine.

Fig. is an end view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 8 with certain portions removed to expose the parts in rear thereof.

Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is a section on'the line 12-12 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail plan view of the bottle halt-ing and centering mechamsm.

Fig. 14 is a section on the line 14-14 of F ig: 13.

ig. 15 is the same as Fig. 13, front elevation, and

Fig. 16 is a front elevation of a double unit machine illustrating particularly the bottle feeding mechanism.

.Referring to the drawings, the bottle topping machine comprises a support or table 2O mounted on vlegs 21 and supporting a l frame 22. A cam shaft 23 is supported by brackets 24 secured to the underface of the table 20. This cam shaft is driven from any suitable source of power. The frame 22 consists of two upri ht members 25 and 26, provided with bearings 27 and 28 respectively to support a shaft 29. A frame member 30 proJects forwardly froirthe upper extremity `.of the frame member 25 and is supported at its outer end by the diagonal bracemember 31. A magazine 32 is supported on the outer portion of the frame member 30. A horizontal extension 33 is vformed on the outer end of the frame member 30 to act as a support for the sliding plungei` 34.

The cam shaft 23 supports cams 35, 36, 37 and 38. The cams 35 and 36 are respectively provided with cam grooves 39 and 40 which operate the cam rolls 41 and 42.

The cam roll 42 is carried on a lever 43 pivotally mounted on the rear of the table 20 at 44 and having its forward extremity pivotally connected to the lower end of the rod 45. The upper extremity of the rod 45 is pivotally connected to a bell crank 46 mounted on the shaft 29. The arm 47 of this bell crank projects upwardly and is pivotally connected at 48 to the cylinder 49 in which operates the plunger 50 carrying the bottle topping head 51.

The cam roll 41 is carried by the lever 52 pivotally connected at 53 to the rear end of the table in the same manner as the lever 43. The forward extremity of the lever 52 is pivotally connected at 54 to the lower extremity of the rod 55 which has its upper extremity pivotally connected at 56 to the arm 57 of the bell crank 58. The other arm 59 of this bell crank projects forwardly and has its outer extremity pivotally connected at 60 to the lower extremity of a link 61. This link 61 is substantially parallel with the arm 47 and has its upper extremity pivotally connected at 62 to the cylinder 49. The arm 59 of the bell crank 58 is practically parallel with the cylinder 49 when these parts are in their'normal or initial position. An arm 65 projects upwardly from the frame 25 and carries in its upper eX- tremity an adjustable stop 66 which is adapted to engage the rear extremity 67 of the plunger 50 to force this plunger forwardly in the manner which will be described in connection with the operation of the machine.

The cams 37 and 38 on the ca m Shaft 23 are substantially identical in form with the exception that the cam 37 is disposed upon the shaft slightly in advance of the cam 38. A cam roll 70 operates on the periphery of the cam 37 and is carried by the lower extremity of the lever 71 pivoted at 72 on the underface of the table 20. The upper extremity of this lever 71 is pivotally connected at 73 to the rear extremity of the double link 74 which has its forward eX- tremity pivotally connected at 75 to the rear end of the horizontally slidable linger 76. The cam roll 77 operates upon the periphery of the cam 38 in the same manner as the corresponding roll 70 upon the cam 37. This cam roll 77 is mounted upon the lower extremity of the lever 78 which is connected to the rear extremity of the finger 79 by the double link 80 corresponding to the link 74 for the finger 76. The inner corners 81 and 82 of the fingers 76 and 79 respectively are beveled to center the bottles on the feed belt 83, which will be more fully described hereinafter.

y The bottle feeding belt 83 is supported upon the upper face of the table 20 between guides 84 and 85. The fingers 81 and 82 are adapted to be moved transversely of the path of the belt 83 to halt the advance of the bottles on this belt and center them beneath the topping head in the manner which will be fully described hereinafter. The belt 83 preferably advances continuously and is supported by the pulleys 90 and 91 in the usual manner. are advanced into the path of' the bottles by the cams 37 and 38 respectively. These fingers are normally drawn rearwardly by their respective springs 92 and 93. These springs also retain the cam rolls in contact with the periphery of the operating cams. Set screws 94 and 95 properly position the fingers in the slots 9 6 and 97.

The magazine 32`\is provided to hold a supply of bottle tops in position to be successively engaged by the combined picker and presser head 51. This magazine is mounted in the bracket 100 secured upon the forward end of the frame 30. A ring 101 is secured to this bracket and is provided on its inner face with a plurality of .transverse slots 102 to receive the fingers which retain the paper tops. The uppermost finger 103 is shorter than the other fingers 103 to enable the tops to be fed to the magazine in rear of the ring 101. These fingers are held within their respective slots in the ring 101 by the screws 105. The outer ends of the fingers 103 and 104 are each provided at their outer extremities with a narrow longitudinal slot to receive a knife blade 106 which has the forward portion of its inner edge 107 projecting inwardly from the face of the finger to slightly indent the paper tops within the magazine and prevent them from being pushed out by the plunger 34. The plunger 34 is provided at its vsmaller' end with a head 109 which presses against the lrear paper top within the magazine. The periphery of the plunger head is preferably chamfered opposite each of the fingers in the ring 101 to provide a smooth sliding contact between these parts. A control handle 110 is secured upon the outer end of the plunger 34 to enable the plunger head to be withdrawn from the magazine sufficiently to permit a supply of paper tops to be inserted. This plunger is normally pressed forwardly by a weight 111 connected by a cord 112 to a lug 113 on the handle 110. A bearing 114 is provided to Support the plunger 34.

The head 51 on the plunger 50 comprises a suction cup 120 formed on the front face of a disk 121. A washer 122 of rubber or other suitable yielding material fits about the outer wall of the cup 120 and has its rear face supported by the disk 121. The rim of the cup 120 preferably projects slightly in front of the face of the washer 122. The amount of this projection varies with the type of top which is being placed upon the bottle. A suction passage 123 communicates The fingers 81 and 82 with the cup 120 and with a groove or channel 124 about the plunger. Spaced -V-shaped groovesk 125 and 126 are provided in the peripher of the plunger to receive the inner end o a sprin -pressed retaining pin 127. A flexible suction tube 128 has its up r extremity communicatin lwith the interior of the cylinder 49 op site the channel 124 when the plunger 50 1s in its forward osition. This position of the plunger is indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. A suction release port 130 is provided 1n the wall of the cylinder 49 to communicate with the channel 124 when the plunger is in its rearward position, as wil be described fully hereinafter. The lower extremity of the flexible tube 128 is attached 'to a tube 131 which communicates with a suction pump 132 mounted on one of the legs 21 of the table. This ump is driven by a belt 133 from the pu ey 134 on the shaft 23.

The particular construction lof the combined icker and topping head 51 is somewhat ependent upon the type of paper top which is to be placed upon the bottle or ]ar. If a small paper top is to be pressed into the neck ofthe bottle, the rimof the suction cup should project a sufficient distance beyond of the bottle its full distance.

the forward face of the washer to allow the cup actin as a presser to enter the neck without t e washer being compressed very materially by the rim of the bottle. This construction is illustrated fully in 6 of the drawings, in which the to or isk of paper 140 has been driven wit 'n the neck When this head is to be used to press a gummed top 141 upon the rim of the bottle in the manner indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawings, a thicker washer should be used. This washer with its supporting disk forms the member which presses the outer ed e portion of .the paper disk or top upon t e edge or rim of the bottle.

A lurality of machines of the type forming t e present invention may be used to perform successive topping operations upon the same bottle, or one or more of these machines may be used jointly with other machines in accomplishin the various steps of closing and sealing ttles. An advantageou's arrangement of these machines .is illustrated in Fig. 16 of the drawings, 1n which the machines are designated 143 and 144. The machine 143 differs from the machine 144 only in the particular formation of the head 51. The head in the machine 143 in this arrangement is of the ty e illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings and 1s adapted to press a small paper disk or top 140 within the neck of a bottle. The machine 144 presses the top 141 upon the rim of the bottle subsequent to the insertion of the top 140 by the machine 143. The top 1 41 is usually of the gummed type and the rim 1s preferably moistened either manually or by vma.- chine between the topping operation in the machine 143 and the same operation in the machine 144. The endless belt 83 first conducts the bottle to the machine 143 where it is halted by the fingers and held stationary while the lunger of this machine inserts the top or disk 140. As soon as the bottle is released by the fingers in this machine it is carried forward b the belt 83 until it is again stop ed by t e fingers in the machine 144 and t ie gummed top 141 attached. Upon the release ofthe bottle by the fingers in the machine 144, this bottle is carried forward by the continuously moving belt 83. This belt is supported between the machines 143 and 144 by a table 145 or other by the fingers 81 and 82 and centered in the proper position to receive a paper top. The fingers 8l and 82 are so timed by the cams 37 and 38 that the finger 81 is moved into the path of the bottle on the belt slightly in advance of the finger 82 and stops this bottle. Almost simultaneously with the stopping of the bottle by the finger 81, the finger 82 moves forwardly and firmly positions the bottle in position to receive a top. While the bottle is thus being brought to position, the head 51 is moved forwardly into engagement with the topmost disk in the magazine 32, then rearwardly to its initial position, and then is swung downwardly into position to place the disk in or on the neck of the bottle. This movement vof the head 51 is actuated by the cams 37 cam forces outwardly the cam roll and causes the bell crank 46 to be rocked upon vits center, swinging the arm 47 forwardly. The arm 59 during this period remains stationary, so that the forward motion of the arm 47 carries the cylinder 49 forwardly by a substantially horizontal movement and brings the rim of the suction cu 120 into engagement with the topmost disk in the magazine 32. The succeeding reverse curve 151 on the cam 35 causes the cam roll 41 to be drawn inwardly, swinging the arm 47 rearwardly to its initial position and with it the cylinder 49 and the head 51. During this operation of the cam roll 41 the cam roll 42 was passing over the portionof the cani between the points 152 and 153 which 4is concentric with the shaft 23 and, therefore, no movement of the arm 59 takes place.v

WVhen the cylinder and head have returned swing simultaneously in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, carrying the cylinder 49 and the head 51 from the horizontal position to the vertical position, with the head above the rim of the bottle. The cam roll 42 has now reached the point 155 on the cam 36. Between the points 155 and 156 the periphery of this cam is concentric with the shaft 93 and the cam roll 42 will remain at a constant distance from the center of the shaft, in its vertical position above the bottle, producing no movement of the arm 59. During this interval the cam roll 41 continues to move outwardly which produces a substantially vertical movement downwardly of the head similar to the previous horizontal movement described. The elevation 157 on the cam 35 produces the final downward thrust of the plunger 50 to force the disk into position in or on the bottle, and the subsequent withdrawal of the head. The washer 122 yieldingly presses upon the rim of the bottle during the latter portion of this thrust and the resistance to this pressure forces the spring pm 127 out of the groove 125,-permitting the plunger to move upwardly within the cylinder until the pin 127 enters the groove 126. The upward movement of the plunger 50 within the cylinder 49 moves the channel 124 out of registration with the suction tube 128 into registration with the portr130, shutting olf the suction from the cup 120 and releasing the hold of this-cup upon the disk which has now been placed upon or in the bottle in its proper position. The receding curve on the elevation 157 of the cam 35 causes the arm 47 to swing upwardly, withdrawing the head from the bottle. At the completion of this substantially vertical withdrawal movement the cam rolls 41 and 42 simultaneously commence to move inwardly along the receding faces of their respective cams, swinging the cylinder 49 upwardly from the vertical to the horizontal position. At substantially the termination of this upward movement the rear end 67 of the plunger 50 comes into contact with the adjustable stop 66 which forces the plunger forwardly into its initial position with the pin 127 in the groove 125 and the channel 124 registering with the suction tube 128.

Upon the completion of the placing of the paper disk upon or in the neck of the bottle, the finger 81 is withdrawn, ermitting the bottle 146 to advance with tlie belt 88. The finger 82 remains in its forward or extended position until the bottle 146 has moved slightly forward. This finger 82 not only performs the' function of centering the bottle 146 but acts as a stop for all succeeding bottles on the feed belt. The withdrawal of this finger 82 permits the movement of the next succeeding bottle into topping position. Y

In the packaging of various kinds of foods, such as malted milk, which are suceeptible to moisture, the .container is usually tightly sealed by means of paraiiine or other similar material. A paper disk is usually first applied to the container to form a foundation for the parafline filling. A very advantageous method of sealing a bottle or jar is to insert a disk of paper or other similar material into the neck of a bottle or jar, then applying moisture to the edge or rim of the bottle and affixing a gummed top or label thereon, and finally dipping the neck of the bottle in hot paraiiine. A metal cap is then screwed upon the neck or otherwise secured thereon to form a protector for the seal. The first disk excludes any moisture which might enter the bottle during the succeeding moistening operation.

In order to accomplish these various steps by machinery, I have found it advantageous to utilize continuously operating belt or conveyor and to locate the machines for performing the separate steps along this belt. The filled bottles are placed upon the belt and conducted by it successively to the various machines. Means are preferably provided at each of the machines for temporarily holding each of the bottles and positioning the same during the operation of the machine. The action of each of these machines is entirely automatic. As the construction and operation of the various machines for performing the steps other than that of applying the paper tops form no part of the present invention, no description thereof is deemed necessary, but these mechanismsV are alluded to here for the purpose of making clear the function and mode of operation of my improved bottle topping machine. This method of closing and seal-4 ing bottles is particularly advantageous in reducing labor cost and increasing production. The machines require practically no attention except to maintain a supply of paper tops in the magazine and no regularity in placing the bottles upon the belt is necessary. The machines are simple in construction and mode of operation. When two or more machines of the type forming the present invention are used jointly in the manner illustrated in Fig. 15, a common cam or driving shaft is preferably used,

but it is not necessary to secure an particular timing of the cams in one mac ine relative to the corresponding cams in the succeeding one and each machine rony be 2perated independently. The sp of e feed belt should be sufiicient to insure an adetpate supply of bottlesy to the topping mac ine or to each unit where two or more machines are operating jointly. Generally an accumulation of bottles will occur'before the machine or each unit but this will not interfere with the operation of the toppii/ig mechanism for the fingers are adapted fto enter between contacting bottles.

I am aware that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts of my bottle topping machine without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I reserve the right to make all such as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a. machine of the class described, the combination with bottle topping mechanism, of an endless belt for conducting a supply of bottles to said mechanism, and a pair of parallel, spaced fingers successively movable into the Path of the bottles on said belt, said fingers being adapted to engage on ppposite sides each bottle arriving at' topping position and to jointly retain and center the bottle in said position during the operation of said topping mechanism.

2. A machine of the class described comprising a topping head, a bottle feeding belt, bottle stopping/and centering means including cam operated fingers successively movable relative to said belt for interrupting the travel of a bottle on said belt and positioning said bottle between said fingers opposite said head, and means for moving sald head into engagement with the bottle in said position. i j

3. A machine of the class described comprising a head movable into and out of topping position, a bottle feeding belt, means including independently operated fingers successively movable transversely of said belt to interrupt the travel of a bottle thereon and position said bottle relative to said head, and cam operated means for angularly shifting said head from its horizontal position to a position substantially vertical and moving said head into and out of engagement with the bottle in said position.

4. A machine of the class described comprising a topping head, a continuously movmg feed belt, fingers successively movable transversely of said belt and adapted to be projected to the same degree to interrupt the travel of a bottle thereon and position said bottle relative to said head, means for moving said head from a osition substantially horizontal to a positlon substantially vertlcal and moving said head into and out shaft. and cams on said shaft for actuating said fingers and said moving means.

5. In a machine of the class described, the i nism, of an endless elt for con ucting a supply of bottles to s id mechanism, sto s comprising tapered fingers ada ted to independently operated dispose at intervals along said elt and successively movof engagement with the positioned bottle, a i

able into the path of the bottles thereon to control and center said bottles, a shaft, and cams on said shaft for independently actuating said sto s.

6. In a -mac ine of the class described, the combination with mechanism for engaging the top of the bottle, of an endless belt for conducting a supply of bottles to said mechanism, and a pair of parallel diverging fingers independently operated `and successively movable transversely of s m'd belt in the path of said bottles thereon to halt and center the bottles on said path at a predetermined point and positions/aid bottles relative to said engaging mechanism.

7 In a machine of the class described, the combination with mechanism for engaging the top of the bottle, of an endless belt for conducting a supply of bottles to said mechanism, and a pair of parallel spaced fingers successively movable into the path of the bottles on said belt, said fin rs bein adapted to engage on opposite si es of eai bottle arriving at a predetermined position and to retain the bottle in said position during the operation of said mechanism.

8. In a machine of the class described, bottle conveying means, a topping head with means for engaging vthe top of the bottle and a centering device including independently operated fingers movable transversely of the bottle conveying means, said fingers having outwardly diverging ends to receive and center a bottle therebetween with respect to the top engaging means.

9. The combination with bottle engaging means adapted to move into and out of a fixed operating position, of a centering device embodying independently movable centering fngers having divergent centerin surfaces and means to -independentlyan successively project and retract the fingers.

10. The combination with bottle engaging means adapted to move into and out of a fixed operating osition, of a centering device and means or conveying the bottles to and from the centering device, said centering device embodying diverging fingers` and means to successively project and retract the fingers.

11. In 4a machine of the class described,

able transversely of the bottle conveying means and adapted to engage on opposite sides of a bottle to halt and center the same with respect to the top engaging means.

12. In a machine of the class described, an operating head movable into and out of operative position, a carrier belt and a centering device including a pluralit of independently movable fingers adapte to extend partially across the be t and having diverging faces adapted to halt and center a bottle therein for action thereon by the operating head.

13. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a conveyor, of means for centering articles carried on the conveyor with respect to another element of the apparatus and including a pair of fingers in ependently movable transversely across the conveyor and in the path of the articles carried on the conveyor, and means for moving one of the fingers into the path of an article on the conveyor to stop said article and then moving the other finger to engage the opposite side of said article and center the same between the two fingers, said other finger also constituting a stop for halting succeeding articles on the conveyor.

14. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a conveyor, of means for centering articles carried on the conveyor with respect to another element of the apparatus and including a pair of fingers independently movable transversely across the conveyor and in the path of the articles carried on the conveyor, and means for moving one of the fingers into the path of an article on the conveyor to stop said article and then moving the other finger to engage the opposite side of said article and center the same between the two fingers, said other finger also constituting a stop for halting succeeding articles on the conveyor, said means also operating to subsequently withdraw the first mentioned finger to release the article and permit it to travel with the conveyor, and then to withdraw said second mentioned linger to permit the succeeding articles on the conveyor to travel therewith.

15. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a conveyor, of means for centering an article carried on theconveyor with respect to another element of the apparatus and comprising a pair of substantially parallel endwise movable fingers mounted at one side of the conveyor and capable rof being projected transversely across the conveyor into the path of articles carried thereon, the inner faces of said fingers having inclined portions forming a substantially V-shaped article` centering seat when both fingers are extending across the conveyor, and means to successively project the fingers to positions across the conveyor and temporarily hold them there and then successively Withdraw the fingers in the order in which they were projected.

FRED C. AREY. 

